Being the culture vultures that my partner and I are, we just had to visit the ROCKS area of Sydney.  It is after all the very first area settled in by the British convicts in Australia.  It was very funny when one Australian we met, en elderly gentleman, mentioned that in his youth back in the 1930s and 1940s, no Australian admitted to being a descendant of convicts.  If ever they were it was kept a family secret, he said.  Fast forward to present day Australia, however, he stated that everyone now wants to be called a descendant of one.    How times change.

This was actually a mural on a wall at the Rocks.  We couldn't resist taking a picture as it showed the area back in the 1800s when Australia was such a young nation.  This wall was actually in a parking lot.

The Rocks Discovery Museum

A small but interesting museum.  It is housed in a restored 1850s sandstone warehouse.  It tells the story of the Rocks from the pre-European days to the present.  Visitors to this museum will learn about the area's traditional landowners, the establishment of the English colony, as well as the sailors, whalers, and traders who made the area part of their home.  This was likewise the site of union led protests back in the 1970s that aimed to preserve this historic part of the City of Sydney.

Next stop was Susannah Place.  Truth be told, I never heard of this place before I traveled to Australia.  Actually, besides the fact that Australia was first settled by the British convicts, I knew nothing about Australian history.  This trip sure was eye opening.

At Susannah Place.  We took this photo before we actually went inside the premises for a guided visit and tour.  The building behind me is the actual Susannah Place, the rear part.  It is actually made up of four houses built in 1844 and inhabited until the early 1990s.  It has since been converted into a small but quaint museum.  I must add, it is a must see in Sydney should you find yourself here one day.

Susannah Place provides its visitors a look into the life of domestic working-class families in old Sydney.  The modest interiors and rear yards illustrate the restrictions of 19th century inner city life. A visit to its different dwellings also depicts the tastes of the working class families through the many layers of paint finishes, wallpapers, and floor coverings of the houses.

The rear part of Susannah Place

This is the area where the backyard is located.  This is also where the bathroom is and where the laundry, the washing and drying took place.

The main facade of Susannah Place

Marc in front of Susannah Place

Me pretending to close the door and leaving my Susannah Place apartment

The sign  to the entrance of the shop and museum

After purchasing the tickets for the guided tour, we were taken to one of the apartments, yet to be restored.  I had asked if we could take pictures inside the museum but were told it was not allowed.  However, we did take  following pictures in what was their waiting room where we also viewed an informative video about the place.  Other visitors started clicking away and so did we.

Here's a brighter rear view of Susannah Place.  It was nearly noon when we left the museum and the sun was shinning brightly.

Another view of The Rocks with the Harbour Bridge in the background

Old houses now retail shops at the Rocks

They don't call The Rocks for nothing.  Why, the whole place sits on rocks.  Just take a look!

An alley in the Rocks

Given that it was a sunny day in Sydney, we decided to visit the very famous Bondi Beach after exploring The Rocks.  We returned to Circular Quay to take the Express Bus to the famous beach after grabbing a quick bite to eat at a pie place.

Different views of the famous Bondi Beach

Of course, Bondi wasn't going to be the same without surfers.  Even though it was winter time, there sure were people swimming and surfing.  Frankly though, the water looked very rough.  There was no way I was going to swim there even in the summer time if the water currents were as strong as they seemed when we went there.

A skating rink at Bondi.  Hey, it was winter in Australia afterall.

A European female tourist very kindly and patiently took this picture at Bondi.  We stood there a good few minutes waiting for the waves to appear while she shot away.

If I were to go wading and swimming at Bondi, this is the most likely place I will do it at.  The walls provide a block to the strong waves and kids actually swam here.  The water did not look deep.

Here I am at the tip of the cliff at Bondi.

Did you pay attention to the huge boulder with a plaque on its side.  Well, it was completely drowned by the waves when we were there.  The waters did look scary.

Bondi waves

We walked up this cliff on the right side of Bondi.  The path was long and went on forever.  Visitors could get nice views of Bondi here too.

Another picture of both of us at Bondi taken on the cliff where the Bondi Icebergs Restaurant was.  We first went to the cliff in the background earlier in the afternoon.

Marc clowning around at the cliff, pretending to lift the huge rock above him

Me too!  Pretending to lift the rock attached to the cliff

What a rock!

A rock formation at Bondi Beach

It was nearly dusk when we left Bondi Beach.  We took the same bus line we took earlier in the afternoon but this time on the reverse run.  We stopped briefly at a mall at Bondi Junction.